Ochsner Hospital for Children of New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic healthcare system, announced that it has been selected as the sole U.S. beneficiary of the 2015 CN Miracle Match campaign, a charitable initiative to rally communities to support children’s hospitals in North America. CN will match up to $300,000 in donations to Ochsner Hospital for Children this year. Ochsner Hospital for Children is only the second U.S. institution to be selected since the program began in 2006.
“We are tremendously grateful to CN for their support of the world-class care we provide to children and families across the region,” said Vincent Adolph, M.D., Interim Pediatrics Chair, Ochsner Hospital for Children. “Proceeds from the CN Miracle Match will be used to help us expand our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. This will help us care for even more children with highly complex medical conditions.”
CN announced a $100,000 gift to support FedExFamilyHouse, a home-away-from-home for families traveling to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tenn, for treatment. Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital treats more than 250,000 children each year in a 255-bed state-of-the-art, family-friendly hospital and through community programs and regional clinics. The announcement was made during CN’s annual shareholders meeting at The Peabody Memphis Hotel.
In 2014, CN partnered with Le Bonheur for its Miracle Match program, which matched donations up to a total of $300,000 to Le Bonheur’s public giving campaign, Everyday Heroes. The campaign, along with CN’s matching gift, raised more than $780,000 in donations.
The CN gift to FedExFamilyHouse is one of the largest single donations in the history of FedExFamilyHouse, whose dining hall will be named in honor of CN’s contribution. The house is Le Bonheur’s first housing facility for out-of-town families. Since opening in December 2010, the 24-suite facility has served nearly 40,000 people from 40 states and nine countries.
“All of us at Le Bonheur and FedExFamilyHouse appreciate CN’s generous support throughout the years,” said Le Bonheur President and CEO Meri Armour. “CN’s gift will help us continue our mission of providing a haven of hope and comfort for our families at no cost to them.”
Claude Mongeau, CN’s President and CEO of CN, said: “We are pleased to announce this donation to support FedExFamilyHouse in serving families with children being treated at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, a hospital with which we have a long-standing relationship. Advancing children’s health services in communities along our North American rail network is a key focus of CN’s community investment program.”